System for supplying fuel for hydrocarbon-engines.



U. G. PAGE, J. A, BOUK & H. QUITTMAN. SYSTEM FOR SUPPLYING FUEL FOR HYDROCARBON ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT, 17. 1914. RENEWED APR. 18,1916.

1,1 84,204. Patented May 23, 19111.

. l I N VEN TOR 5 WIYTNESS 01 0; 6 Page BYJ0'7776J A Bod/i UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ULYSSES G. FAG-E, JAMES A. BOUK, AND HENRY QUITTMAN, OF OAKLAND, CALI- FORNIA, ASSIGNOR-S TO GEM DISTILLER-VAPO-RIZING 00., 0F OAKLAND, GALI- FORNIA, A CORPORATION OF CALIFORNIA.

SYSTEM FOR SUPPLYING- FUEL FOR HYDROC'ARBON-ENGINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 23, 1916.

Application filed September 17, 1914, Serial No. 862,194. Renewed April 18, 1916. Serial No. 92,043.

b all whom it may concern Be it,known that we ULYSSES G. PAGE JAMES A. BOUK, and HENRY QUITTMAN, citizens of the United States, residing at Oakland, in the county of Alameda and State of California, respectively, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Systems for Supplying Fuel for Hydrocarbon-Engines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in systems for supplying fuel for hydrocarbon engines of the type wherein the heat of the exhaust is used to vaporize the liquid fuel and which is condensed again before using in the engine.

The principal object of our invention is to provide an improved apparatus for vaporizing the liquid fuel of a sufiiciently high temperature that when the vapor is again condensed the resultant product is of a lighter specific gravity, thereby producing more volatile hydrocarbons.

Other objects are to produce a simple and efficient device of this character which may be easily applied to existing hydrocarbon engines without any change in the construc tion of the same, or in the carbureter.

WVith these and other objects in view our invention consists in the novel construction and arrangements of parts as herein described and more specifically pointed out in the appended claims.

Reference being bad to the accompanying drawing'forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a view in elevation of a hydrocarbon engine showing the manner of connecting our improved fuel distiller thereto. Fig. 2 is a view in cross section of what is hereinafter termed the vaporizer. Fig. 3 is a view in cross section of what is hereinafter termed the condenser.

Referring to corresponding parts by the same numerals of reference, 1 denotes the hydrocarbon engine having the intake manifold 2 and exhaust manifold 3. A carbureter 4 is attached to the intake manifold in the usual manner and from the exhaust manifold, pipe 5 leads to the muflier. The vaporizer 6 is attached to the exhaust pipe 5 in a convenient position and consists of a cylindrical casing 7 to which are attached top and bottom closures 8 and 9. The top a pipe 26' in threaded engagement therewith is a stud 14 on the upper end of which is provided a slightly enlarged head 15. This stud is preferably formed of some material, which is a good conductor of heat, such as brass or copper, and the exterior end with respect to the closure 9 extends through a suitable opening in the pipe 5 and is held therein by threads or other suitable means, the stud 14 completely closing the opening into the pipe 5 so as to prevent the escape of the exhaust gases and being preferably solid. A drain cook 17 leads from casing 7 adjacent the lower end thereof.

The condenser is denoted in general by 18 and consists of a cylindrical vessel 19 and closed on the two ends, one end as 22 being removable. On the upper end 20 is an opening in which is threaded a cook 21 having a funnel shaped opening through which liquid may be poured into the interior, and the bottom 22 is provided with a.

drain cook 23.

At a suitable distance from the lower end of the body a fine mesh screen 24 is attached to the interior walls across the entire area to the body and a vertical pipe 25 is provided within the casing 19 extending from a point adjacent the bottom thereof to a 5 point near the top where it is connected with leading to the outlet 27 of the vaporizer. A pipe 28 extends from adjacent the top of the casing 19 to a point just above the screen 24 where it is connected bymeans of a tube 29 to the fuel intake of the carbureter 4. In use this body 19is filled about two-thirdswith water or to a level as shown at 30,. and above this level a cock 31 is provided in the casing by which the distilled liquid may be withdrawn for testing purposes. The fuel tank 12 contains distillate orthe lower grade fuels and in operation of valve 13 is regulated to allow this fuel to drip from the pipe 11 on the head 15 of stud 14 in approximately the amount re quired by the engine. This stud being of good conducting material and being in the path of the highly heated gas, becomes so hot that the liquid fuel dropping thereon is not only converted into vapor, but the vapor is sufliciently heated to becoine cracked. This gas flows through the pipe 26 to the condenser 18 and as it passes downwardly through the pipe 25 and up through the water it is condensed. Being lighter than water this liquid fills the space above the line 30. The impurities and free carbon which are carried over by the vapor are held in the lower part of the chamber 19 and may be drawn oil through the cook 23. The liquid which is formed in the upper end of the condenser 18 is of considerably lighter specific gravity than the original liquid fuel, distillate being raised from 52 B. to 56 B. and'low grade gasolene from 7 2'0 two to four degrees. This liquid is allowed to flow into the carbureter in the usual manner and the system is selfregulating to the extent that if the valve 13 is set to allow an excess of fuel then when the upper part of 20 becomes filled pressure rises in the vaporizer and prevents the fuel flowing through pipe 11 from the supply tank.

While we have shown the preferred form of our invention it will of course be understood that changes may bemade in the form.

and details of construction without departing from the scope of the claims.

' v 1. In a system of tures in presence What we claim as new and wish to cover by Letters Patent is the class described in combination, a cracking still arranged to I receive heat from the exhaust of an internal combustion engine, a closed condenser containing a body of water, a carbureter, connections for leading vapor from said still to the lower part of said condenser, connections leading from the upper part of said condenser to said carbureter for carrying out the lighter fuel distillate and a discharge from the lower portion of said still and said condenser.

n 2. In a system of the class described in combination, a gas engine exhaust pipe, a

R. M. OYARZO,

A. S'rooK. 

